Troubled passage for beaten favourite Lush Lashes

The Ballydoyle Group One juggernaut continued in the Nassau Stakes over 10f at Goodwood on Saturday, with Irish 1000 Guineas winner Halfway To Heaven (Pivotal - Cassandra Go, by Indian Ridge) prevailing in a race notable for the inability of the even money favourite Lush Lashes to find a run before flying home in the dying strides to take second. The win was Aidan O'Brien's 17th Group One of the season.

Richard Hills had been keen to take the lead on Muthabara from a wide draw and he got to the front after two furlongs, where he set a very steady pace ahead of Halfway To Heaven in second, with Lush Lashes settled in abouth sixth spot.

In the straight Muthabara kicked for home, closely followed by Halfway To Heaven, who took the lead in the final furlong and a half. Lush Lashes tried to track Murtgah on the winner but was boxed in, with Passage Of Time and Heaven Sent on her outside. Crucially, Kevin Manning dived for the rail on Lash Lashes just as Muthabara hung right to close that option. That forced the Bolger filly to come left again to follow her original trajectory. She found daylight in the final 50 yards and flew, but the winner had gone and she had to settle for second, a head down. Passage Of Time, who had run on in peace on the outside, was third, a further head down, just ahead of Heaven Sent.

Murtagh said after the race: "I thought it might be tactical. Aidan said she is very straightforward and to bounce her out. There is no point complicating it. We were going nice and steady and I knew I was in the right place.

"She is very brave and very tough. She's come on from the Guineas, she's thickened up well and she's moving well. She wins like this a lot, she is lazy.

"A fast mile is OK and a mile and a quarter is no problem, so she has plenty of options. She's a Classic winner, a Nassau winner; the roll continues."